BOSTON (AP) -Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce made the go-ahead layup with 25 seconds left after Boston blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead, and the Celtics beat the Miami Heat 92-91 on Friday night to improve to 8-0.
Pierce scored 12 points, Ray Allen had 19, and Rajon Rondo had nine points and 10 assists for Boston, which had not started a season with eight straight wins since the 1972-73 team won its first 10. Miami dropped to 1-8, but only after scoring 15 straight points in the fourth to tie it.
The Heat took a 91-90 lead on Udonis Haslem’s free throw with 33 seconds left. But Pierce muscled his way to the basket to give the Celtics back the lead.
Dwyane Wade, making his first start after offseason knee and shoulder surgery, dribbled out most of the clock before missing Miami’s last shot.
The Celtics face their biggest challenge so far on Sunday when they play the Southeast Division-leading Magic in Orlando.
Wade, who came off the bench and played 24 minutes for his first appearance on Wednesday, scored 23 for Miami. He also missed five free throws and the Heat shot just 16-for-28 from the line. Shaquille O’Neal had 17 points and nine rebounds.
SuperSonics 126, Hawks 123, 2OT
ATLANTA (AP) – Rookie Kevin Durant made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the second overtime, and Damien Wilkins scored a career-high 41 points in Seattle’s victory.
Durant, the No. 2 overall draft pick, finished with 21 points to help Seattle improve to 2-8 following a victory on Wednesday night at Miami.
Joe Johnson had a season-high 39 points for the Hawks, who have lost three of four.
Cavaliers 99, Jazz 94
CLEVELAND (AP) – LeBron James scored 40 points – 34 in the second half – and made a crucial block on former teammate Carlos Boozer in the final seconds to help Cleveland end Utah’s winning streak at five games.
James missed another triple-double, finishing with 10 rebounds, nine assists and three blocks. He made 13 of 15 free throws, including four straight in the final 3.8 seconds as the Cavs sealed it.
James, who had 16 points in the third and 18 in the fourth, either scored or assisted on 15 of Cleveland’s 19 baskets in the second half. However, his biggest play was the block with 12.8 seconds left on Boozer, who is still regarded as a villain by Cleveland fans for reneging on a promise and leaving as a free agent.
Boozer led Utah with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Magic 95, Nets 70
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Dwight Howard had 21 points, 19 rebounds and became the NBA’s youngest player to reach 3,000 rebounds, leading Orlando past New Jersey.
Rashard Lewis added 27 points, and Jameer Nelson hit two 3-pointers in a decisive third-quarter spurt that carried the Magic to a franchise record-tying sixth straight road win. Orlando’s 8-2 start is its best since the lockout-shortened 98-99 season.
Orlando never trailed after the opening minutes and the only question was whether Howard (21 years, 343 days old) would get his 3,000th rebound. He corralled it with 6:25 to play, breaking the old mark set by Shaquille O’Neal, when he was 23-plus years old and also playing for the Magic.
New Jersey’s Jason Kidd recorded the 89th triple-double of his career with a career-high 19 rebounds, 11 points and 10 assists.
Spurs 90, Rockets 84
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Tim Duncan had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Manu Ginobili added 19 points and Michael Finley had 17 for the Spurs
Luis Scola, whose rights were traded from the Spurs to Houston over the summer, had a breakout game, scoring 20 points. Shane Battier added 16.
The Rockets, without the injured Tracy McGrady, tied it at 80 with 3:48 to play on Scola’s jumper. But even with Yao Ming’s eight points in the quarter, the Spurs were able to pull away.
Warriors 122, Clippers 105
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Andris Biedrins had a season-high 23 points and a career-best 18 rebounds, Al Harrington scored 27 points and Golden State finally got its first victory of the season.
Baron Davis had 21 points, 12 assists and a career-high five blocked shots for the Warriors, who had been the NBA’s only winless team. Golden State lost its first six, including three straight narrow defeats at home before holding off the Clippers in a wide-open game featuring 48 combined 3-point attempts.
Matt Barnes added 17 points and eight assists for the Warriors, who finally got it together in their final game without suspended swingman Stephen Jackson. The co-captain will rejoin the club for Sunday’s game at Toronto in the start of a five-game road trip.
Tim Thomas scored 25 points and Chris Kaman had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who launched 29 3-pointers, more than in any game this season or last, and just three off the 1997 franchise record of 32 attempts.
Lakers 103, Pistons 91
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Lamar Odom had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant and Jordan Farmar made key plays down the stretch to lead the Lakers over Detroit.
Bryant finished with 19 points. Farmar had two steals and scored six of his 10 points over the final 7:40.
Tayshaun Prince had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons. Richard Hamilton also scored 16 points, while Flip Murray added 15 and Rasheed Wallace and Jarvis Hayes each had 13.
Kings 123, Knicks 118, 2OT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Kevin Martin scored a career-high 43 points to lead Sacramento to a double-overtime victory over New York.
Martin converted four straight free throws and John Salmons made two in the final 12 seconds as the Kings snapped a two-game losing streak and handed New York its fifth consecutive loss.
Ron Artest had 28 points and eight rebounds for the Kings. Salmons scored 16 points and Brad Miller had 12 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out in the first overtime.
Even with the Knicks going consistently with a three-guard lineup in the second half, it was Eddy Curry and David Lee carrying their share of the load. Curry fouled out late in the second overtime with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Lee contributed 24 points and 16 rebounds.
76ers 92, Trail Blazers 88
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Louis Williams scored all 19 of his points in the second half to help Philadelphia overcome a 25-point deficit.
The 76ers missed 15 straight shots spanning the first two quarters, and scored only 27 points in the first half.
LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy each scored 25 points for Portland.
Hornets 120, Grizzlies 118, OT
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – David West scored a career-high 40 points, including the go-ahead 15-footer with 8.3 seconds left in overtime, for New Orleans.
Chris Paul added 28 points and 13 assists in the victory that ran the Hornets’ record to 8-2, the best start in franchise history. The win wasn’t assured until Memphis forward Rudy Gay missed an 11-footer with about 2 seconds left in overtime.
West was 17-of-29 from the field. Peja Stojakovic finished with 17 points, and Bobby Jackson had 14. Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 17 rebounds.
Juan Carlos Navarro led the Grizzlies with 28 points.
Raptors 110, Pacers 101
TORONTO (AP) – Chris Bosh scored 22 points, and Jose Calderon added 15 points and 10 assists for the Raptors.
Anthony Parker and T.J. Ford each scored 15 points to help Toronto end a three-game home losing streak. Troy Murphy and Jamaal Tinsley each scored 20 points for the Pacers (3-6), who lost their sixth straight.
Wizards 105, Timberwolves 89
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Caron Butler scored a season-high 29 points, and Gilbert Arenas added 27 for Washington.
Arenas scored six straight points to ignite a decisive 20-3 fourth-quarter run that helped the Wizards take control. Butler also had a key steal of an inbounds pass and Minnesota committed several turnovers during that decisive stretch.
Rashad McCants led Minnesota with 19 points.
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